Yieldable drive shaft



R. E. CARTER.

YIELDABLE DRIVE SHAFT. APPLlcATloN msn Deel2?. 1920.-

Patented May 16, 1922..

l|||1 "nulli-lill: i All E 7/ IN lull Eder-2E, cara-w marras strates i FA'FN'F @FFICB ROBERT naar CARTER, or sYKEsviLIin, MARYLAND.

YIELDABLE DRIVE SHAFT.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that ROBERT EARL CARTER, citizen of the United States, residing at Sykesville, in the State of Maryland, has inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Yieldable Drive Shafts, of which the following is a-specification. f i

rlhis invention relates tocertaiii new and useful improvements in yieldable shafts,.and relates more particularlyr to a shaftv construction of this kind adapted toy turning of the driving element against gradually increasing resistance, before Lthe turning'movement of, `the driving element is communicated to the driven element. Obviously, when the invention is applied to motor vehicles, the starting of the vehicle will be had: free of jerks and strains, enhancing the comfort and safety of the. occupant of f the vehicle and increasing the life of the ve# liicle, particularly the propulsion mechanism Lof the latter.` i

An object of the invention is to provide a yieldable shaft ofthe above kind which shall be simple in construction and capable of being cheaply and easily manufactured and placed in use, as well as being` durableand ellicient in'operation, the necessary attributes for insuring successful commercialization.

The invention consists in the novel form, I

combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed in connection withy the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views. In the drawing, f

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of' a'` part of a motorvehicle propulsion mechamsm equipped with the present invention,

Figure' 2 is an enlarged view of the major portion of Figure 1, with parts in vertical longitudinal section, and par-ts in side elevation,

Figurey 3 is a transverse sectional view Specieaton of Letters Patent. Patntgd ly Application filed December 2*?, 1920. n Serial No. 433,171.' i

drive lVIe-Vl' of Figure 2,

.VH-VII of Figure 2, and- :the driving i in the same. Y

- taken on line lll- III of Figure 2 and showing` a universal joint preferably employed with the yieldable shaft of the present invention, o

Figure l is a siniilal1 view taken` on line lV-lV of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is asimilar view taken on line V-V of Figure 2,k i

Figure 6 is a similar` view taken on line Figure 7 is a similar view taken on line Figure 8 isa fragmentary planview of element showing the yoblique slot Referring more in detail to thev several ticularly applicable as the longitudinal ydrive shaft of automobiles, the engine shaft being denoted bythe numeral 5, and 6 denoting the propeller shaft leading to the differential gearing usually employed;

The yieldable shaft includes a hollow elogated member or tube 7 having a driven lshaft sectionfor element 8` at one end coupled by a universal joint 9 to the shaft 6,. and-'having ar driving shaft sectiony oi" element wat the other end coupled by'a similar joint 1l t0 the engine shaft 5.

The element 8' is preferably solid. and is provided kwith an angular, preferablysquare inner end 12 fitting in a similarly' shaped bore of the adjacent end of tube 7 asshown in Figure 2, whereby rotary movement of the tube will be'instantly imparted to the element 8, The remainder or the bore of tube k7 is circular, .and a guide plug 13 isY f secured in said` tube adjacent theend 12 .by

means of stud screws 14 or the like, passing through the tube and screwing into said plug. f

The opposite end oftube `7 is provided.' with, longitudinal slots 15 into which the fins 16 of a second guidel plug 17 are slidfor a' limiteddistance wherein the plug 17 is positioned in ytube 7 a little inwardly of the adjacent end of `the tube.

plug 1'?- so'- as to secure ythe-latter in place, and? the plugs 13 and 17v form abutments for the outer `ends ofy helical` springs 19 and 20, respectively, which areiplacedin the tube?.

,The driving element 10 extends into,y the tube 7 fory a distance-suliicient'to enter and loosely play in the central openings of the' A third. guideplug 18 is threaded vinto tube 7 behind. the

views, the present invention is shown as parplugs 1S, 17 and 13, and a pair of spaced disks or collars 2l are keyed upon the central portion ol the element l0 so as to form abutments for the other ends of springs 19 and 20. The element l0 is rotatable and slidable in the plugs, and the disks 21 are similarly movable in the tube 7.

pin 22 is rigidly carried by the tube 7, and this pin extends transversely through a longitudinal obliquely 'formed elongated slot 23 provided in element l0 between the disks 2l. The pin 22 preferably projects through the opposed apertures in tube 7 and is kept from dropping out by caps 24C or the like suitably secured over said apertures and engaging the endsot the pin. i

As shown, the joints 9 and 1l are preferably yieldable and each includes a pair of forks 25 arranged at right angles to each other and connected by tension springs 2G.

In operation, rotation is imparted to drivinw element lO, and, by reason of the pin 22 engaging in the oblique slot 23, .said ele- `ment is drawn inwardly so as to gradually compress spring 19 until the pin 22 gently comes into Contact with an end wall o'l' slot 23, whereupon the tube 'i' is caused to rotate and thereby rotate element 8. Il? element 10 is rotated in a reverse direction, it will move outwardly oi tube '7 to compress Spring 2O until pin 22 engages the other end wall of slot' 23r for rotating tube 7 and element 8.

Delayed rotation `is thus imparted to element 8 from element .l0 under a gradually increasing cushioning action, and jerks and torsional strains are thereby avoided.

It is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated from the Jforegoing description by those skilled in the art. i

Minor changes may be made without departing from lthe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimedl as new is 1. A yieldable drive shaft, including a y driving element, `a driven element, and

means connecting said elements for permitting limited rotation of the driving element relative to the driven-element under gradually increasing resistance, said connecting means including a tube in which said driving element is slidably and rotatably'mounted, means to impart longitudinal movement to and to permit limited rotation of the. driving element relative to said tube upon rotation of said driving element, and means to resist the longitudinal movement of said 6 driving element, the means for imparting longitudinalmovement to the driving element including a transverse pin rigid with the tube, said driving element having a longitudinal elongated obliquely arranged slot through which the transverse pinv extends.`

2, A yieldable drive shaft, including a driving element, a driven element, and means connecting said elements Ator permitting limited rotation ot the driving element relative to the driven element under gradually .increasing resistance, said connecting means including a tube in which said driving element is slidably and rotatably mounted, means to impart longitudinal movement to and to permit limited rotation of the driving element relative to said tube upon rotation ott` said driving element, and means to resist the longitudinal movement of said driving element, said last named means inclnding` a pair oit compression springs mounted in said tube and resisting longitudinal movement of the driving element in either direction, guide plugs for the driving element secured in the tube and each forming an abutment for the outer end of one spring, and abutment disks for the inner ends of the springs keyed on the driving element and freely movable in the tube, the means for imparting longitudinal movement to the driving element including a transverse pin rigid with the tube, said driving element having a longitudinal elongated obliqnely arranged slot through` which the transverse pin extends.

A yieldable drive shaft, including a driving element, a driven element, and means connecting said elements Yfor permitting limited rotation of the driving element relative to the driven element under gradually increasing resistance, said connecting means including a tube in which said driving element is slidably and rotatably mounted, means to impart longitudinal movement to and to permit limited rotation of the driving clement relative to said tube upon rotation of said driving element, and means to resist the longitudinal movement oi. said driving element, said last named means including a pair of compression springsmounted in said tube and resisting longitudinal movement oi the driving element in either direction, guide plugs 'for the driving element secured in the tube and each forming an abutment for the outer end o'lione spring, and abutment disks for the inner ends of the springs keyed on they driving element and freely movable in the tube, the means for imparting longitudinal movement to the driving element including a trans-' verse pin rigid with the tube, said driving element having a longitudinal elongated obliquely arranged slot through which the transverse pin extends. c'

4l. A yieldable drive shaft, including a driving element. a driven element,v and means connecting said elements for permitting limited rotation ot the driving element relative to the driven element under gradually increasing resistance, said connecting` f ymeans including a tube in whichsaid driving element is slidably and rotatably mounted,

iso

means to impart longitudinal movement to and to permit limited rotation of the driving element relative to said tube upon rotation of said driving element, and means to resist the longitudinal movement of said driving element, said last named means including a pair yof compression springs mounted in said tube and resisting longitudinal movement of the driving element in either direction, guide plugs forthe driving element secured in the tube and each forming an abutment for the outer end of one spring, and abutment disks for the inner ends of the springs keyed on the driving element and freely movable in the tube7 slots being provided in one end of the tube, one of said guide plugs having fins slidable into said slots, and another of said plugs being threaded into the tube behind the iin carrying plug to secure the latter in lace. p 5. A yieldable drive shaft, including a driving element, a driven element, and means connecting said elements for permitting limited rotation of the driving element relative to the driven element under gradually increasingv resistance, said connecting means including a tube in Which said driving element is slidably and rotatably mounted, means to impart longitudinal movement to andto permit limited rotation of the driving element relative to said tube upon rotation of said driving element, and means to resist the longitudinal.movement of said driving element, said last named means including a pair oi' Compressionv springs mounted in said tube and resisting longitudinal movement of the driving element in either direction, guide plugs for the driving element secured in the tube and each forming an abutment for the outer end of one spring, and abutment disks for the inner ends of the springs keyed on the driving element and freely movable in the tube, slots being provided in one end of the tube, one oi' said guide plugs having tins slidable into said slots, and another of said plugs being threaded into the tube behind the tin carrying plug to secure ther latter in place, said tube having an angular bore at its other end, and the' driven element having an angular end .fitting in the angular bore. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. f y

ROBERT EARL CARTER. 

